"He's always thinking out of the box": Uthappa backs Ashwin's return to CSK

New Delhi [India], November 26 (ANI): Following the completion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa said that he was happy with Chennai Super King's decision to get off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin back in their side for the upcoming season of the cash-rich league.
Ashwin returned to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 9.75 crore. The legendary all-rounder has taken 764 wickets in 286 matches across all formats for India. In 65 T20Is, he has picked up 72 wickets at an average of around 23. Ashwin has also made significant contributions in the IPL, scoring 800 runs and taking 180 wickets in 212 matches. He is a multi-time IPL winner with CSK.
"I think Ashwin has proven over a period of his career that he's a lateral thinker. He's not linear in his thinking, and he's always thinking out of the box. So, you always want a person like that in your side. As a captain, as a leader, you want to have as many options as possible. With the likes of Ashwin, Ruturaj will get those suggestions and he can be used as a floater, and he can bat up the order to play the role of a pinch hitter as well. He may not be the highest wicket taker, but he is pretty economical," Uthappa told Jio Cinema.
Other than Ashwin, the five-time champions bought many other players too.
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra also went back to Chennai Super Kings for Rs4 crore. Ravindra, who has played 23 T20Is for New Zealand, has scored 231 runs at an average of 15.40 and taken 13 wickets. In his debut IPL season with CSK, he impressed by scoring 222 runs in 10 matches with a strike rate of almost 161.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) roped in Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmed for a whopping Rs 10 crore on Sunday. CSK and MI started bidding to get the player. In the end, GT used the Right To Match (RTM) option and raised the bid to Rs 10 crore, but they later pulled out.
Noor has played 10 ODIs and 14 T20Is for Afghanistan, taking 16 wickets. In the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he played for Gujarat Titans, picking up 24 wickets in 23 matches. He is a well-known name in the franchise league circuit.
Khaleel Ahmed was roped in by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 4.80 Crores. In 29 white-ball matches for India, Khaleel has taken 31 wickets. He has represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in his IPL career, taking 74 wickets in 57 matches, including 17 scalps in 14 matches for Delhi this year.
NZ opener Devon Conway was roped in by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 6.25 crores, setting up a sweet homecoming for him. In 50 matches for New Zealand in T20Is, Conway has scored 1,408 runs at an average of 38.05, with 10 fifties and best score of 99*. In 23 matches for CSK since 2022, Conway has scored 924 runs at an average of 48.63, with nine fifties and best score of 92*. (ANI)